HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana sophomore Moses Greenwood tossed in a career-high 23 points as the Lions got off to their best start in five years with an 89-72 win over Xavier-Louisiana Monday night in the University Center.

    Southeastern is 3-1 for the first time since the 2011-12 season. The Lions did not win their third game of 2015-16 season until Jan. 18. Southeastern also extended its home winning streak to 10 games dating back to last season. Southeastern has not lost in the University Center since a 75-71 setback to Incarnate Word on Jan. 16.

    Greenwood added 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season and third of his career. Freshman guard Chris Mejia also had a career-best 17 points, hitting six of his seven shots, including five of six 3-point attempts. Junior guard Davon Hayes eclipsed his career best with 17 points. Sophomore guard Marlain Veal, the reigning Southland Conference Player of the Week, tied a career high with nine assists while tossing in 14 points. Southeastern shot 56 percent from the field and out-rebounded Xavier 37-24, but also committed a team-high 20 turnovers.

    Xavier (2-4) took advantage of the turnovers and a couple of cold spells by Southeastern to take a first-half lead and stick around until late. The Gold Rush shot 50 percent from the field and had four players in double figures. Innocent Kukulu hit three 3-pointers in finishing with 18 points. Leland Alexander and Seth Jackson had 13 points apiece and Mike Williams 11. Alexander also had seven rebounds.

    "I want to give coach (Alfred) Williams and Xavier credit," Southeastern head coach Jay Ladner said. "They were exactly what I predicted and what I told my team what we were going to face. They have a lot of guys who can score the ball and they did. I felt like we were a little bit flat and Xavier had a lot to do with that. They did a nice job of hanging in there and making shots, which we knew they could. I don't want to say we played poorly, but we just didn't play with the energy that we are going to have to have later in the year to be successful."

    Hayes had 13 points and Greenwood 11 as Southeastern overcame a pair of deficits to take a 41-33 halftime lead. Hayes converted a three-point play after leaning in for a jumper to give the Lions a 46-35 advantage at the 17:35 mark of the second half. Veal hit a 3 and a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 51-39 with 15:29 left.

    But Southeastern went cold from the floor, going without a field goal for the next 3:23. Xavier used the opportunity to get to within 51-45 on a Jackson jumper with 14:37 remaining. But the Gold Rush got only a 3 by Kukulu over the next 4:31. Mejia hit a 3 and freshman guard Michael Corchiani and sophomore guard Dimi Cook hit a pair of free throws each to expand the Lion lead to 65-52 at the 9:13 mark.

    Mejia iced the game with three 3s over a 1:25 span, giving Southeastern a 75-56 lead with 6:03 remaining. A Greenwood jumper gave the Lions their biggest advantage at 89-67 with 51 seconds left.

    Hayes hit a pair of 3s to give Southeastern a 10-1 lead before Xavier got its first field goal, a 3 by Jackson, at the 16:06 mark. Hayes scored off a no-look pass from Veal, Greenwood put back a missed Hayes 3 and junior guard Jabbar Singleton knocked down a 3 to give the Lions a 17-6 lead with 14:28 left in the half.

    Xavier pulled to within 19-15 on a Jalen David 3 with 11:48 remaining but Polanco answered with a trey of his own. Southeastern would then go without a field goal over the next 5:41, allowing the Gold Rush to get to within 24-22 at the 6:10 mark on an Alexander dunk.

    Greenwood scored off a Veal pass to end the Lions' skein with 5:48 left. But Xavier took its first lead at 27-26 on a jumper by Kukulu at the 4:28 mark. After Hayes put Southeastern back ahead with a layup, Donovan Armstrong hit a jumper to make it 29-28 Xavier with 3:55 left.

    The Lions responded with a 13-4 run to close out the half. After Greenwood regained the lead with two free throws at the 2:46 mark, Hayes and Mejia knocked down 3s on successive possessions to give the Lions a 39-31 lead with 50 seconds remaining. A Mejia jumper pushed the lead back into double figures before Alexander tipped in a rebound at the buzzer to make it 41-33 at the half.

    Kukulu had 10 points to lead Xavier in the half.

    Southeastern opens a three-game western swing at UTEP at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. The Lions then travel to Colorado State at 3 p.m. Friday before completing the trip with a 7 p.m. tip-off at California on Sunday. Southeastern returns home to play Maryland-Eastern Shore on Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m.